(6/8 as a starter, 4 as a main course)

2 kg (4 lbs.) Mussels
175g (6 oz.) Butter
3 cloves Garlic
Small bunch Parsley
3 tbs. Breadcrumbs.

Wash off the mussels and remove their beards (if they are farmed mussels they will have little or none).
Put these into a large saucepan with a cup of water .
Put the lid on and cook just until they open.
Take them out of the pot and discard the liquid (or freeze it for some mussel stock).
Remove the top shell, and put the others out on a baking sheet in their shells.
Soften the butter, chop the parsley and the garlic finely and mix together.(Or throw the whole lot into a food processor and process).
Put the breadcrumbs into a pan and toss in a little oil on the heat until they become brown and crisp.
Cover the mussels in the half shell with the butter, sprinkle over the crisp crumbs and either put under a hot grill or in a hot oven until the butter melts and bubbles.
These are best eaten with lots of crisp bread to soak up the garlicy, mussely butter and I must confess to loving the Belgian notion of eating them with hot chips.